Hungary: The Roma Police Officers' Association; its mandate and membership, the type of work that it performs, and whether Roma can file complaints with it
In 8 April 2009 correspondence, a paralegal with the European Roma Rights Center (ERRC) in Budapest, an international public interest law organization that works to oppose anti-Roma racism and human rights abuses of Roma (ERRC n.d.), provided the following information which the ERRC obtained from the chair of the Roma Police Officers' Association in Hungary:
The mandate of the association [Roma Police Officers' Association in Hungary] is the following:
1. To secure and protect the rights of the members related to their employment rights and interests, especially anti-discrimination and equal opportunities.
2. To provide indirect representation (mediation) in cases where a violation of the above-mentioned rights has occurred, especially when the right to equal treatment is violated by a discriminatory measure. The association receives the complaint from the member about the violation, and the Board of Directors decides whether to support the member in his/her case. If the association provides support, they contact organisations dealing with rights representation, contact a legal representative or forward the complaint to the state authority. In these cases the association may fully or partly sponsor the case.
In case a non-member turns to the association, the association still decides on the merits of the case and send[s] a substantive decision to the non-member. The association may decide to take up the case and contact a legal representative/organisation.
3. The training and education of young Roma and other minorities for employment in the police/military.
The association also promotes equal treatment [with] in the law enforcement authorities, provides help to Roma with identity problems, participates in cultural activities, provides/organises educational events, arranges workshops and works for the protection of human rights.
There are no specific requirements for membership…. The association has 151 members, of which 58 are ordinary members with full rights and 93 are supporting members. An ordinary member can only be a person who is: an employee of the law enforcement, police/military force, or ministry of internal affairs; one of his/her relatives; and students of schools connected to these bodies listed above. Supporting members can be any person or legal entity. There are also honourable members of the association, who are adjured by the Board of Directors.
The association provides indirect (legal) aid (see para. 1 & 4.) to those who submit complaints to the association. The association also performs advocacy work related to equal treatment and anti-discrimination concerning Roma and Roma police officers. Besides this, the association organises the following projects:
- “Dzsumbuj program” - visiting disadvantaged Roma children at holidays, holding cultural events and giving out presents to the children.
- “Together for the children with disadvantaged background” - organising events and clubs for children.
- “On the road with disadvantaged youth” - program to support youth education.
Roma are able to file a complaint to the association.
The complaints mostly concern discrimination in employment, discriminatory treatment, and discrimination by law enforcement authorities or police officers.
The Roma Police Officers’ Association is distinct from FAERLEO [Fraternal Association of European Roma Law Enforcement Officers].
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC), Budapest. 8 April 2009. Correspondence from a paralegal.
_____. N.d. "What is the European Roma Rights Centre?" <http://www.errc.org/About_index.php> [Accessed 16 Apr. 2009]
Additional Sources Consulted
Internet sources, including: British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), European Centre for Minority Issues, Fédération internationale des ligues des droits de l'homme (FIDH), Freedom House, Human Rights First, Human Rights Watch (HRW), Hungarian Helsinki Committee, International Crisis Group, Internet Centre Anti-Racism Europe (ICARE), Minority Rights Group International, Project on Ethnic Relations, Roma Police Officers' Association (information is only in Hungarian), ROMNews.